Apparatus for preserving foods



I (No Model.)

H. LEAK, W. B. HAYPORD, H. C. PPISTER 8; G. W. MEYER.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING FOODS.

No. 541,368. Patented June 18, 1895.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT Orrtcne MONDULA LEAK, WILLIAM B. HAYFORD, HERMAN C. PFISTER, AND GUSTAVE W. MEYER, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING FOODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,368, dated June 18, 1895. Application filed January 2, 1895. Serial No. 533,611. (To model.)

.TO all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MONDULA LEAK, WILLIAM B. HAYFORD, HERMAN C. PFISTER, and GUSTAVE W. MEYER, citizens of the United States, residing in San Jos, county of Santa Clara, State of California. have invented an Improvement in Means for Preserving and Transporting Perishable Substances; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,

[0 clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of our invention is to provide a means for preserving and transporting fruit and other perishable substances.

It consists essentially in the application to car or other means of transportation of a fixed apparatus to which cylinders or chambers containing carbonic acid gas under high pressure, are adapted to be removably connected; devices forming a part of said apparatus by which the flow of gas from any one or more of the cylinders is regulated and determined, so that a constant fixed quantity is discharged therefrom; means by which the gas thus discharged is delivered so as to fiow into the car or transporting device containing the substances to be preserved in a constant and steady stream; devices for transferring the gas thus delivered from one carriage to another, so that any number of cars in a train may be supplied from the apparatus; and devices for expanding the condensed gas directly into the car independent of the regular circulation for the purpose of reducing the temperature, and in certain details of construction,

all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a series of cars in sections showing our arrangement for transportation. Fig.

0 2 is a detail view of the device for charging the cars with the gas. Fig. 3 is a detail of a check-valve for maintaining the pressure within the car.

A is a pipe or main which, in the present case, is shown arranged horizontally within the car and supported and fixed in any suitable or desired manner. In the present case it is shown as fixed to supports B which are bolted or otherwise secured within the end of the car, and, with its connected apparatus, may be entirely inclosed and separated from the remainder of the cars as shown at a. This main is provided with a series of couplings 0 adapted to be connected with corresponding couplings upon steel cylinders C. These cylinders are constructed to resist a heavy pressureequal to as much as seven hundred and fifty, pounds to the square inch, and the gas is condensed into these cylinders by pressure at the point where it is produced, and after the cylinders are charged they are closed by a suitable cock so that no escape of gas can take place until desired. These cylinders may be shipped to-any point on the line of railroad,

or other line of transportation, or any point. where they may be desired.

In long lines over which fruit is to be shipped, such as those extending from the Pacific Coast to the Eastern States, the cylinders may be sufficiently charged to furnish a suitable supply for the whole distance, or we may have replenishing stations at points on the route.

The cylinders being removable are easily taken out at any station where they are-to be '75 filled or replenished, and replaced after filling, or others already filled substituted for, the empty ones which may be returned to the point of supply orretilled at the station where removed. So

When the cylinders are connected by the couplings with the pipe or main A, the cocks or valves are opened, so that the gas isv allowed to How into the pipe or main A, and from this pipe or main it is conveyed by a pipe or connection D to a regulating cook or device E. By means of one or more cocks or valves the flow of gas from the main A is regulated to any desired pressure which is indicated by means of a pressure indicator F 0 operating simiiar to any steam or pressure gage, The cock E affects the pressure in the indicator F by the degree of opening. If fully opened the pressure of seven hundred and fifty pounds per square inch would be much too great for the purpose desired. By closing the cock E to the proper point, but a small amount of gas can pass and the indicator J shows when it is passing fast enough to properly supplythe cars. The back pressure from this, and the remainder of the appa ratus is, in conjunction with the supply cock E, responsible for the action on the pressure indicator F. From this regulating cook the gas flows into a pipe G which is provided with a cockH. At one side of this cock is a pipe I which enters the upper part of what I term arr'indicator J. This indicator consists of a chamber, preferably having glass or other transparent sides through which an inspection of the interior can be made: ,This chamber is partially filled with glycerine and the pipe I entering near the upper part, extends downward to near the bottom of the chamber.

From the top of the chamber another pipe K extends into the pipe G upon the opposite side of the cock H from the pipe I. The pipe G is then led to the lower part of the carat the end in which the apparatus is situated.

L is a pipe connecting with the upper part of the car at the end opposite to the inlet apparatus, and this pipe leads down to a point outside of and near the bottom of the car where it has a nozzle or connection M.

The operation of the apparatus will then be as follows: The gas containing cylinders are connected with the main A in such numbers as are necessary to supply the estimated amount of gas to be used while the train is proceeding to its destination, or to the point of renewal, and connection being. opened between the cylinders and the main, the cock H in the pipe Gis closed. The regulatingcock is then adjusted until the desired pressure, which may be from two to five pounds, or other amount, is shown upon the indicator, and the gas flowing through the pipe I from the pipe G, enters the indicating chamber and going through the pipe to the bottom, it rises in bubbles through the glycerine or other liquid with which the chamber is filled, and escaping through the pipe K it passes again into the pipe G upon the other side of the cock H. By inspection of the bubbles ofgas 'as they rise through the liquid in the indieating chamber, we are enabled to determine the amount of gas which is flowing through the pipes, and when this has been regulated to suit, cocks O in the pipes I and K are closed, thus cutting off all communication with the indicating chamber. The cock H is then opened and the gas, the flow of which has thus been regulated, then passes through the pipe G and is delivered in regularsupply into the lower part of the car. As soon as this is commenced, we apply any suitable suction or exhaust pump to the end M of the pipe L at the opposite end or outside of the car, and withdraw the atmospheric air within the car, its place being supplied by the carbonic acid gas which fiows in through this apparatus until by any desired test it is shown that the car is filled with the gas.

P is a flexible coupling which is applied to pipe M either after the exhaust pump has been removed, or by an independent coupling, as shown, and connects the first car with the next one in the series, the pipe opening as before into the lower part of the car. The opposite end of the second car is provided with a discharge passage or pipe L which, in

turn, has a coupling or connection M through which the atmospheric air in this second car is exhausted, and so on through a train and as many cars as may be made up together,

and after the cars are all filled with the gas,

may be preferably fitted to the pipe L, and so regulated that when the small pressure re quired is contained within the car, it will overcome the tension of the valve and will then allow the gas to flow on to the next car and so on through the series. It will be manifest that in order to keep up such a pressure,

the cars will have to be so constructed as to be approximately air tight so that the gas will not escape easily through crevices and openings around the car, and this is especially the case where several cars are to be connected together in series.

At the low pressure here described, the cars will simply be filled with carbonic acid gas without any especial refrigerating effect, but if it is desired to reduce the temperature of the car it may be done on the well known principle that the expansion of any condensed too,

fiuid Within a larger space will abstract the heat from the air therein. For this purpose we connect a pipe or pipes R either with the main A or with any one of the charged cylinders, and this pipe is provided with a cock S which may be open so that gas in considerable quantity can be discharged directly from the cylinders into the car where it expands, and in its expansion abstracts the heat so as to reduce the temperature of the car to any desired degree. This may be done at any time when the car is passing through heated sections of the country and operates independently of the preserving process as previously described. By this construction, the preserving and refrigerating may take place simultaneously or independently, and the same apparatus serves for both purposes.

This supplemental pipe R may be used when the preliminary filling of the car takes place, without disturbing the regulated supply, before described, and it serves the double purpose of rapidly filling the car with gas to take the place of the exhausted atmospheric air, and also to reduce the temperature of the interior of the car.

A single car serves to contain the apparatus, and the gas is distributed therefrom through any number of cars that may be desired.

ITO

1f it is desired to cut out any carof the series I temporarily, it is only necessary to fully charge this car with thega's and close all in g fixed therein' a receiver adapted to contain carbonic acid gas under a high pressure, couplings by which movable reservoirs are connected therewith and disconnected,a regulator by which the flow and pressure of gas from the receiver are controlled, a pipe connected therewith delivering gas into the lower part at one end of the car to expand and fill it, a means by which the gas is discharged from the upper opposite end of the car, and an automatically-actuated check valve by which the pressure within the car is maintained' 2. A means for preserving perishable substances in transit, consisting of a car or cars, a pipe or main permanently fixed in the car, a regulating device connected with themain, a means for indicating the flow of gas therethrough, a pipe connected therewith adapted to deliver gas into the lower part at one end of the car, to expand and fill it, a discharge opening at the upper end of the car having a pipe extending therefrom to the bottom, an automatically actuated valve controlling said pipe, and a coupling or connecting device whereby connection may be made between this pipe and thelower part of the succeeding car, in combination with a series of cylinders or reservoirs adapted to contain carbonic acid gas under high pressure, and valves and couplings by which said reservoirs may be connected to or disconnected from the pipe or main in the car.

3. A means for preserving perishable substances in transit, consisting of a car or cars, a pipe or main fixed at one end of the car, cylinders or reservoirs adapted to contain carbonic acid gas under high pressure and couplings by which they may be connected to or disconnected from the main, a pipe leading from the main, a regulating device whereby the pressure and How of gas from said pipe are determined, an indicator consisting of a cylinder or chamber filled with glycerine or other liquid, a pipe leading from the regulator, a cock by which it may be closed and branch pipes, one of which connects with the pipe from the regulator so as to deliver gas beneath the surface of the liquid in the indicator and the other delivers the gas afterit has passed through the liquid in the indicator into the conveying pipe upon the opposite side of its closing cock, a transparent side or portion whereby the flow of gas through the indicator may beinspected and the regulation thereof determined.

4. A means for preserving perishable substances in transit, consisting of a car having fixed therein a pipe or main, cylinders or reservoirs adapted to contain carbonic acid gas under high pressure and couplings by which they are connected with the pipe or main, or disconnected therefrom at will, a regulator by which the pressure and flow of gas from the main are controlled, and an indicator whereby the amount of said fiow is visible, a pipe connected therewith from which gas is delivered into the lower part at one end of the car, a pipe or passage through which the gas passes from the car at the upper part of the opposite end, said pipe leading to the bottom of the car and having a coupling and connection whereby the overflow of gas is transferred to the lower part of the next succeeding car, and

.a spring-actuated check valve fixed in said pipe or passage whereby the pressure or tensionof the gas in each car is determined and its escape into the succeeding car is regulated.

5. A means for preserving perishable substances in transit, consisting of afixed pipe or main situated within the car, cylinders or reservoirs adapted to contain carbonic acid gas under high pressure, couplings by which they are connected with the main, a regulating and indicating device-whereby the dis charge of gas and its fiow into the car are determined, and a supplemental pipe or pipes leading directly from the main or resorvoirs with the valve through which gas may be discharged and directly expanded into the car for the purpose of reducing its temperature independent of the regular supply of gas thereto through the regulating apparatus.

6. An apparatus for preserving and refrigeratin g perishable articles in transit, consisting of a pipe or main fixed within the car, cylinders or reservoirs adapted to contain carbonic acid gas under high pressure, couplings by which they are connected with the main, a regulating and an indicating device connected with the main through which the gas:

flows and wherein its pressure and amount of flow are regulated, connections by which this flow of gas is delivered regularly into the lower part of one end of the car or series, and means for discharging it from the upper opposite end of each car and delivering it into the lower part of the next succeeding car, and a pipe or passage opening directly from the main or gas containing reservoirs whereby gas may be independently discharged into and expanded within the car.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands. 7

M'ONDULA LEAK. WILLIAM B. HAYFORD. HERMAN O. PFISTER. GUSTAVE W. MEYER. Witnesses:

F. O. ENSIGN, RAY YOUNG. 

